Microorganism specimen storage, hydrating, transfer and applicator device

ABSTRACT

A device for storing, rehydrating, transferring, and streaking a stored freeze dried specimen comprises a three piece construction including a collection vial used to store a freeze dried specimen, a capsule including a reservoir with hydrating fluid retained by a frangible membrane, and an adapter fluidly linking the capsule to the collection vial. The adapter is configured to fluidly link to the capsule to the collection vial via leak-proof couplings to create a closed system of specimen, hydrating fluid, and a small quantity of trapped air. The fluid communication between the vial and the capsule is accomplished through the adapter via an internal lumen longitudinally traversing the adapter. The adapter and capsule combination can also serve as a transfer pipette once the hydration operation is complete to withdraw the specimen from the collection vial and transfer the specimen to a petri dish or other culture medium. The adapter and capsule combination is quickly detachable from the collection vial to allow an inoculating tip exposed to the specimen to be transferred conveniently to a media for culturing with minimal exposure. The inoculating tip is also capable of streaking the transferred specimen to create isolated colonies in the medium from the transferred specimen.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from the U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/601,973, with a filing date of Aug. 17, 2004, the contents and descriptions of which are fully incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The field of the invention relates to the culturing of microorganism samples, and more particularly to a three piece all-in-one device that stores, rehydrates, and extracts, transfers, and streaks a microorganism sample in a sterile environment without the need for additional implements such as transfer pipettes and inoculation loops, with the goal of achieving isolated colonies of cultured microorganism growth in a nutrient-rich environment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Laboratory professionals use freeze-dried microorganisms to validate test procedures and validate laboratory results. These known microorganisms, for example Escherichia coli, have distinct characteristics of growth and reactions to biochemicals. Such microorganisms are commercially available to laboratories that perform microbiology testing. Manufacturers of diagnostic testing systems rely on these known microorganisms that have distinct characteristics and growth patters.

A procedure has been developed wherein a known microorganism is isolated, freeze dried, and stored in a sterile vial for later use. In order to validate test procedures and/or laboratory results, a laboratory professional rehydrates the microorganism from its freeze dried state by adding a sterile liquid to create a suspension containing the microorganism. A sample of the suspension is extracted and transferred to a petri dish for culturing in order to colonized the microorganism. The isolated colonies are then examined to compare the growth and response to biochemicals against known characteristics of the microorganism. In this manner, the laboratory procedure and environment can be validated for subsequent testing.

This procedure requires hydrating the sterile freeze dried microorganism in a sterile solution by introducing a measured quantity of hydrating fluid with the freeze dried microorganism and agitating the solution. The addition of the hydrating solution can be accomplished with a transfer pipette, which must be sterile to avoid contaminating the specimen. In some cases, the pipette is used to mix the solution, or the solution may be enclosed and mixed to ensure complete wetting and rehydration. Care must be taken that the cap (if the original storage container is used) or the new container (if mixed separately from the original storage container) is also sterile to avoid contamination during mixing. Then, a new pipette or inoculation loop is used to extract a quantity of the solution containing the rehydrated microorganism to a nutrient-enriched medium such as agar, so that the microorganism can be cultured under controlled conditions.

A crucial step in the culturing process is the inoculation of the agar plate with the specimen in a manner so as to create isolated colonies so a microbiologist can observe the microorganism's morphology. Using a technique referred to a “streaking,” an inoculation device having an inoculating end, such as a loop, is used to spread the specimen across the surface of the agar or other nutrient medium. Typically, the petri dish or culturing medium is divided into four quadrants and the microorganism suspension is placed in the first quadrant and streaked side to side. The procedure is repeated for quadrants two, three and four, with each successive quadrant reflecting diminished concentrations of the solution, to yield “isolated” colonies of microorganism after culturing.

The use of an inoculation loop facilitates the creation of individual colonies, which are otherwise difficult to achieve without a specialized contact end. This allows the microbiologist or laboratory technician to view the morphology of the microorganism to unsure purity of the culture. The incubation period, depending on the rate of growth of the microorganism, can typically be 24 hours or longer. Subsequently, if the inoculation has been performed correctly and without contamination, individual colonies of microorganism may be identified, studied and compared to predicted results.

The process just described is rife with opportunities for contamination that can foil the testing process and lead to false results. Contamination opportunities exist when the specimen is first exposed during the rehydration step due to airborne contaminants, or contaminated transfer pipettes or mixing containers or surfaces. Contaminated rehydrating fluid also poses an increased opportunity for contamination of the culture. Next, mixing using another implement introduces the potential for contamination, as new surfaces are present when the solution is shaken, stirred, or otherwise mixed. Then the transfer of the rehydrated specimen to a culture dish using a transfer pipette presents yet another opportunity for contaminating the specimen. Finally, the streaking of the specimen in the dish with an inoculating loop or other implement to form the bacterial colonies is yet another opportunity for contaminating the test.

The use of plastic inoculation loops and plastic transfer pipettes represents an advance over metal counterparts in decreased manufacturing costs at the expense of new sterilization problems. Heat sterilization over an open flame was used to sterilize the metal inoculation loops and pipettes, but this form of sterilization is unavailable when using plastic counterparts for obvious reasons. Therefore, inoculation loops and transfer pipettes must be sterilized by other means such as irradiation, electron beam, or autoclaving before packaging. However, contamination is still a constant threat because the slightest contact with any non-sterile surface, even removing the inoculating loop or transfer pipette from its packaging, can effectively contaminate the specimen. Even air-borne contaminants may be introduced into the specimen cultivation, ruining the results. Because the incubation period can be a day or more, the time before it may be discovered that contamination has occurred leads to inefficiency, undue delay, and frustration to the microbiologist or laboratory technician if the whole procedure must be repeated.

In addition to the constant threat of contamination, the inconvenience of stocking each separate implement used in the process is evident. Each testing requires a separate storage container, a separate sterile mixing container, a sterile transfer pipette or other sterile transfer device, and a sterile inoculation loop or other inoculation device for streaking the specimen. The art lacks a convenient, all-in-one storage, hydration, transfer, and streaking device that minimizes the risk of contamination in the various stages of the bacterial growth testing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is an all-in-one storage, hydration, and inoculation device that reduces the possibility of contamination by eliminating the need for extraneous transfer pipettes and inoculation loops. The present invention comprises a three piece unit that includes a collection vial for storing freeze dried microorganism specimen such as a freeze-dried bacteria of known qualities, an interlocking adapter that serves as both a transfer pipette and an inoculation (“streaking”) device, and a detachable capsule for hydrating the freeze dried specimen. The capsule includes a liquid reservoir with a frangible membrane that when ruptured can deliver hydrating fluid to the stored, dried specimen through a designated internal lumen in the adapter. The internal lumen permits hydration of the specimen while the adapter is connected to the collection vial, whereupon the adapter and capsule combination can be used in place of a transfer pipette to extract a quantity of the hydrated specimen from the collection vial without exposing the adapter, collection vial, or the hydrated solution to the outside environment. With the specimen collected in the adapter, the collection vial is removed and the specimen is deposited to an agar medium. The inoculating tip is formed as an integrated part of the interlocking adapter so as to serve as an inoculation applicator in place of an inoculating loop to streak the specimen and create isolated colonies of the cultured specimen.

The all-in-one device featuring an adapter, a vial, and a rehydrating capsule greatly reduces the opportunity for contamination because the unit can be sterilized first, and then assembled with the freeze dried sample included in the vial. Because the rehydration, mixing, and transfer occur while the unit is assembled, external contamination is minimized. Further, by using the inoculating applicator to immediately streak the specimen, no additional outside implements are needed and the opportunity for contamination is greatly reduced. The present invention is also far more convenient than heretofore devices because the present invention accomplishes storing, hydrating, extracting, and streaking a microorganism specimen with a single, cost-effective unit. Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the features of the invention

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an elevated perspective exploded view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view, partially in shadow, of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side exploded view, partially in shadow, of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a petri dish shown after inoculation;

FIG. 5 is the petri dish of FIG. 4 after streaking with the inoculation tip of the adapter of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is the petri dish of FIG. 5 after culturing to produce isolated colonies of bacterial growth.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1-3 illustrate a first preferred embodiment of the present invention comprising three interlocking elements cooperating to form an all-in-one microorganism specimen storage, hydrating, transfer, and streaking device 10. The three elements include a collection vial 20, a fluid releasing capsule 30 for hydrating a dried specimen, and an adapter 35 with a longitudinal lumen 40 fluidly connecting the collection vial 20 to the capsule 30. The collection vial 20 stores the freeze dried microorganism specimen (not shown) in a sterile environment for long periods until the specimen is needed for testing. The collection vial 20 is a tubular member with a cylindrical wall 50 forming an elongate cavity 55 therein. At a distal end 60 of the collection vial 20 is a concave end wall 65 sealing the collection vial, where the end wall 65 is slightly recessed from the edge 60 of the vial 20. The opposite end 70 of the collection vial 20 is open, and includes threads 75 on an interior surface that engage threads 80 on an outer surface of the adapter 35 to form a fluid tight seal with the adapter 35, and can be quickly and easily disengaged from the adapter by disengaging the mating threads.

The adapter 35 is preferably formed of a sturdy plastic through injection molding, and includes an elongate inoculating applicator tip 85 extending longitudinally into the collection vial 20. The adapter may preferably be formed with an injection molding process to form an integral structure having a plurality of radial dimensions along its longitudinal axis. The inoculating tip 85 may have a length of 1.345 inches and an outer diameter of fifteen one hundredths of an inch. The radius of the corner at the rounded opening 19 of the inoculating tip 85 is preferably thirty five one thousandths of an inch (0.035″), and the annular thickness of the tip 85 at the opening 19 is preferably one hundred forty two one thousands of an inch (0.142″). The dimension of the inoculating tip, and particularly the contact surface, have been experimentally determined to be effective in achieving isolated colonies of bacterial samples when the inoculating tip 85 is used to streak the bacterial specimen in an agar petri dish.

The adapter 35 includes an integral stopper 90 formed at an intermediate location that is sized to fit into and plug the open end 70 of the collection vial 20, and positioned to extend the inoculation tip 85 substantially into the collection vial 20 with the stopper engaged therewith. The stopper 90 comprises an annular rim 95 extending from a disk-shaped cap 100, where the annular rim 95 includes threads 80 on its outer surface for engaging the threads 75 on the collection vial 20 to sealingly close the collection vial 20.

The inoculating tip 85 extends from the cap 100 to a position just above the concave wall 65 of the collection vial (see FIG. 2) when the unit is assembled. Adjacent the stopper 90 is a neck portion 105 comprising a substantially cylindrical wall having an outer diameter of one quarter inch and a length of approximately three quarters of an inch. The neck portion 105 is bordered by the radially extending cap 100 on a first side, and a plug 110 on the second side.

The plug 110, like the stopper 90 at the opposite end, has a disk-shaped cap 115 extending radially outward from the surface of the adapter and an annular extension 120 sized to be received in the socket 125 of a hydrating capsule 30. The annular extension 120 may include longitudinal slots 130 at diametrically opposed positions extending from a proximal end 135 of the extension 120 to approximately a midpoint thereof, which may receive inwardly projecting guides 140 (not shown) disposed on an interior surface of said socket 125 of the hydrating capsule 30 to position and secure the adapter 35 and capsule 30 together. Circumferential ridges 145 on the outer surface of the plug extension 120 further assist in securing the plug in place and act as a seal to ensure a solid, fluid tight connection.

The adapter 35 further includes a lumen 45 extending completely through from the distal end 150 of the inoculating tip 85 to the proximal end 135 of the extension of the plug, forming a continuous fluid channel therethrough. In a preferred embodiment, the lumen is twenty-four one hundredths of an inch (0.24″) at the annular extension 120 and seventy-nine one thousandths of an inch (0.079″) at the opening 19 of the inoculating tip 85.

The capsule 30 is a plastic tubular structure divided into two halves. The first half comprises a liquid filled compressible reservoir 160 isolated from the second half of the capsule by a frangible membrane 165 serving as an internal wall. No glass is used for the reservoir 160, eliminating the shortcomings associated with glass ampoules and glass fragments or shards contaminating the specimen. The hydrating liquid can be sterile water, but alternatively can be any hydrating or wetting agent that suits the particular needs of the specimen to be tested. The frangible membrane 165 is pressure sensitive in that either a directly applied compressive force or a sufficient increase in the pressure on the membrane will cause the membrane to tear or rupture, thereby allowing the enclosed fluid to evacuate the reservoir 160. Once the fluid is evacuated due to compression of the reservoir 160, as the reservoir expands it fills with air enclosed is the system such as the air trapped in the lumen and collection vial.

The second half of the capsule 30 on the other side of the membrane 165 is the socket 125 for coupling the plug 110 on the adapter 35. The socket 125 is a cylindrical structure that may include guides (not shown) longitudinally disposed on opposite sides for engaging the slots 130 on the plug extension 120. In a preferred embodiment the capsule 30 can include a pad or mark at the membrane that can be used to identify the position of the membrane 165, allowing the user to apply force directly to the membrane, causing it to rupture. Alternatively, the fluid reservoir 160 can be compressed to increase the internal pressure until the pressure sensitive membrane 165 ruptures, causing the fluid to be expelled into the socket.

In practice, a bacterial specimen is placed in the sterilized collection vial 20 for storage, and the sterilized adapter 35 is connected to the collection vial 20 where the threads 80 on the stopper 90 engage the threads 75 on the internal surface of the collection vial, closing the vial. The bacterial specimen is then freeze dried inside the vial. With the freeze dried specimen in the collection vial 20 and the adapter 35 extending therefrom, the sterilized capsule 30 containing sterilized hydrating fluid is placed on the opposite end 135 of the adapter 35 by aligning the guides with the slots 130 on the plug extension 135, and the inserting the plug 110 into the socket 125 of the capsule 30 forming another tight seal. The lumen 45 on the adapter 35 connects the collection vial 20 to the port of the capsule 30 at the end of the socket 125, but no fluid is conveyed as long as the frangible membrane 165 is in place and the system is effectively a closed system with no access to the outside environment. The device 10 with the freeze dried specimen stored in the collection vial can be transported and stored for long periods of time with minimal risk of contamination as the specimen is sealed in a tight and moisture resistant storage arrangement (see FIG. 2).

When the time comes for the microbiologist or lab technician to test the bacterial or other microorganism specimen in a controlled environment, the device 10 is preferably placed upright such that the capsule 30 is on top and the collection vial 20 with the known bacterial specimen is on the bottom. With the thumb and forefinger placed on the neck 105 of the adapter 35 for support, the fluid reservoir 160 is compressed at the frangible membrane 165 causing it to rupture. Sterile fluid trapped in the reservoir 160 is expelled by pressure of the compressed reservoir and by gravity downward, evacuating the reservoir. The fluid travels across the membrane 165, through the socket 125 of the capsule, and out the socket's port. Because the connection between the capsule 30 and the adapter 35 is fluid-tight, the fluid continues its downward travel under the influence of gravity and pressure to the plug 110 of the adjacent adapter 35 and is forced through the only available path through the internal lumen 45 of the adapter 35 and into the collection vial 20. The fluid then contacts the stored freeze dried bacterial specimen and hydrates the specimen. Because the adapter 35 and collection vial 20 form a sealed coupling, the unit can be mixed without disengaging the adapter to ensure that the freeze dried specimen is hydrated in the sterile environment with reduced opportunity for outside contamination.

With the rehydrated bacterial specimen in the collection vial, the device 10 can be used like a transfer pipette to extract the specimen back through the lumen 45 by compressing the fluid reservoir 160 to expel the air therein, and then releasing the compressed reservoir whereby the expansion of the reservoir walls creates a vacuum that draws the solution of bacterial specimen and hydrating fluid back into the adapter and the capsule. This rehydrating and extraction of the specimen has occurred within the closed environment of the device without exposing the specimen to the external environment. With the specimen now collected in the adapter and capsule combination, the collection vial is disconnected from the adapter by relative twisting rotation of the coupling threads to release the adapter and capsule combination from the collection vial. Innoculation is accomplished when the specimen is then transferred to a culture developing medium such as an agar petri dish by placing the adapter/capsule combination over the petri dish and then gently compressing the fluid reservoir to expel a determined quantity of the solution onto the dish. The deposit of the specimen into the petri dish occurs prior to any exposure to the non-sterile environment.

Having inoculated the petri dish with the specimen, the applicator then serves as a streaking device. FIG. 4 illustrates a petri dish 200 with a concentrated quantity of the bacterial specimen 205 deposited thereon. Using the inoculating tip 85 of the adapter 35 to contact the specimen at about a forty five degree angle with the surface of the dish, the specimen is streaked across the petri dish in a sinusoidal pattern 210 while maintaining a continuous (i.e., unbroken) streak of specimen from start to finish as shown in FIG. 5. The inoculating tip 85 is adapted with its particular dimensions at the contact surface to consistently form an uninterrupted streak of specimen, which in turn leads to a desired set of independent, isolated colonies of bacteria after culturing in the agar. FIG. 6 illustrates the growth of isolated colonies 215 after the culturing is complete.

A clear benefit of the present invention is that the specimen can be stored in its freeze dried state for extended periods of time, and then hydrated, mixed, and extracted, and transferred in the same environment without exposure to a separate environment. The specimen is dydrated conveniently from an all-in-one structure that permits both rehydrating and transfer from the same device without the need for a transfer pipette or inoculating loop. The same storage and rehydration device can then be used to streak the specimen without the need for a separate inoculation loop. The potential for contamination from external transfer pipettes and inoculation loops is reduced, and the convenience of an all-in-one system is recognized by the present invention.

The foregoing has outlined in general the physical aspects of the invention and is to serve as an aid to understand the general principles of the invention. The present invention is not to be limited to any method or detail of the foregoing description, which is merely illustrative. Any variation of fabrication, use, or application as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art should be considered part of present invention. 

1. A three piece interlocking specimen storage, rehydrating, transfer, and streaking device comprising: a collection vial having a cylindrical side wall with an open top end and a closed bottom end; a rehydrating capsule comprising a socket at a proximal end, and a compressible sealed reservoir storing a rehydrating fluid at a distal end, said sealed reservoir having a frangible membrane retaining said rehydrating fluid therein; and an elongate adapter disposed between said rehydrating capsule and said collection vial, said adapter including an internal, longitudinally extending lumen defining a fluid path between said rehydrating capsule and said collection vial, said adapter further comprising an elongate inoculating tip adapted to streak said specimen in a culturing medium to formulate isolated colonies.
 2. The device of claim 1 further comprising male threads on said adapter engaging complimentary female threads on said collection vial at said open top end to form a resealable engagement between said collection vial and said adapter.
 3. The device of claim 1 wherein said inoculating tip has an outer diameter of fifteen one hundredths of an inch (0.015″).
 4. The specimen storage and rehydrating device of claim 1 wherein the inoculating tip has a rounded corner at a distal end with a radius of thirty five one thousandths of an inch (0.035″).
 5. The device of claim 1 wherein said inoculating tip has an annular thickness of one hundred forty two one thousands of an inch (0.142″).
 6. A method of streaking a bacterial specimen to create isolated colonies comprising the steps of: providing a collection vial for storing a freeze dried bacteria specimen; connecting the collection vial to an adapter having an internal lumen; hydrating the freeze dried bacteria with fluid delivered through the adapter's internal lumen; drawing the hydrated freeze dried bacteria specimen back into the adapter; disconnecting the adapter from the collection vial; inoculating a quantity of the hydrated freeze dried bacteria specimen in a culture promoting medium; and streaking the bacteria specimen with an inoculating tip of the adapter to create isolated colonies of the bacteria specimen.
 7. The method of streaking a bacterial specimen of claim 6 further comprising providing a rehydrating capsule connected to said adapter for hydrating said freeze dried bacteria and withdrawing said hydrated freeze dried bacteria.
 8. The method of streaking a bacterial specimen of claim 6 wherein said storing, hydrating, and drawing steps are performed in a closed environment.
 9. The method of streaking a bacterial specimen of claim 6 where said inoculating and said streaking steps are performed with said adapter. 